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April 2020 PPM Data. Information for the April 2020 ratings period has been released for Washington (DC), Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. Nielsen Audio’s April 2020 survey period covered March 26 – April 22. Managing editor Mike Kinosian (Kinosian@TALKERS.com) provides his “Takeaways” from the PPM-markets below.

Washington, DC

Spoken-Word Formats – It’s hardly a surprise that this marks the third month in a row that the top three (6+) finishers in the Nation’s Capital are from the spoken-word arena. What has changed though is the order as WMAL, which had been steady at #3, elevates to #1. Furthermore, the Cumulus Media news/talk outlet is a collective +5.0 in four straight spikes and reaches double-digits for the first time in its PPM-history (5.0 – 6.9 – 7.3 – 7.8 – 10.0, 6+). Its previous highest 6+-share was March’s 7.8. For the 22ndsweep in succession, Radio One’s WOL “News Talk – Where Information Is Power” is unlisted.

Off three-tenths (8.7 – 8.4, 6+), American University-owned public radio news/talk WAMU segues from first to second. “The Mind Is Our Medium” was in a first-place tie with WTOP-FM in February before taking sole possession of the lead in March. WAMU was -2.3 (“Holiday” 2019); +.8 (January 2020); +.5 (February); and +.9 (March). By doubling March’s .4 to .8 (6+), Pacifica Foundation public radio news/talk WPFW checks in at #23.

After gaining eight-tenths to 6.4 – its best 6+-showing in exactly two years (6.4, as well in March 2018) – iHeartMedia news-talk hybrid WBZ-AM “News Radio 1030” loses one-tenth (6.3, 6+) and one ranker (third to fourth).

Three straight improvements by WLRN yielded a collective +1.7 (2.0 – 2.9 – 3.2 – 3.7, 6+) but the Dade County School Board public radio news/talk station is off one-tenth to 3.6 (6+) and exits the top ten (#9 to #11).

Following a March gain of four-tenths (4.4 – 4.8, 6+), Entercom sports talk WXYT-FM “97.1 The Ticket” falters by nine-tenths to 3.9 (seventh to tenth, 6+). “The Ticket” was +1.1 in January and -1.7 in December/“Holiday” 2019 (5.5 – 4.8 – 3.8, 6+).

Over and above gaining a collective +2.5 as a result of four successive bumps (3.9 – 4.3 – 4.8 – 5.8 – 6.4, 6+), co-owned WWJ “News Radio 950” marches from third to a first-place tie. It is the first time WWJ has hit the six-share mark (6.4, 6+) since May 2019 (6.2, 6+).

Detroit Music Formats – Within 5.0 – 5.6 range (6+) in each of the last six survey periods (5.6 – 5.2 – 5.0 – 5.2 – 5.4 – 5.3, 6+), iHeartMedia urban AC WMXD “Mix 92.3” dials up a +1.1 to 6.4 (6+), advancing from fourth to a first-place deadlock with WWJ (see above). This (6.4) is the best 6+-showing for “Mix” since June 2019 (6.9). Meanwhile, Radio One’s similarly-formatted WDMK “105.9 Kiss-FM” augments its March improvement of six-tenths with April’s +1.0 and leaps into the top ten (3.0 – 3.6 – 4.6, #13 to #6, 6+). Entering the March sweep, “Kiss” was off three-tenths in three down or flat moves in a row (3.3 – 3.3 – 3.1 – 3.0, 6+). In three straight spikes, Beasley Media Group-owned WCSX was a collective +1.0 (5.6 – 5.8 – 60 – 6.6, 6+), but “94.7 Detroit’s Classic Rock” surrenders a -1.4 to 5.2 (6+), segueing from first to third.

Not only is KPBS a whopping +3.7 through four spikes in succession to traverse the eight-share level (4.8 – 5.9 – 6.0 – 6.9 – 8.5, 6+), the San Diego State University-owned news/talk station progresses from second to first.